Cardinal Health Inc vs Capital One Financial Corp. — how do they compare? Cardinal Health Inc trades at $229 (market cap $53.89B), while Capital One Financial Corp. trades at $205.98 (market cap $126.46B). The key difference: Capital One Financial Corp. is far larger — about 2.3× Cardinal Health Inc's market cap, and Capital One Financial Corp. pays the higher dividend (1.56%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CAH | COF | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $53.89B | $126.46B |
Sector | Health | Financials |
52-Week High | $239.71 | $257.94 |
52-Week Low | $146.04 | $176.10 |
Enterprise Value | $58.87B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.89% | 1.56% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Cardinal Health (CAH) trades at $233.66, down 0.91% in the last session, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong analyst support. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $3.17 surpassing expectations. Revenue reached $222.58 billion in 2025, though net margins remain thin at 0.62%. Recent news highlights growth potential in medical supplies, with earnings results for fiscal 2026 due August 11.
The outlook for CAH is positive, driven by earnings momentum and sector tailwinds, but risks include high leverage with debt-to-asset ratio at 16.09% and competitive pressures. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $248 price target, suggesting 6% upside. Investors should weigh solid operational cash flow against negative shareholder equity and investing outflows.
Capital One Financial (COF) trades at $203.02, up 0.74% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with recent misses but strong revenue growth to $53.43B in 2025. Analyst consensus remains positive with a $252.40 price target and 62.5% buy ratings, while the Discover integration presents significant expansion opportunities amid credit risk concerns.
COF offers potential upside from current levels with Wall Street optimism around the Discover acquisition, though investors face headwinds from rising delinquencies and margin compression. The stock's valuation at 62.44 P/E appears elevated relative to modest ROE of 3.34%, requiring careful monitoring of integration execution and credit quality trends.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Cardinal Health is a leading pharmaceutical wholesaler, engaged in the sourcing and distribution of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail-order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, the three compose well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Read more on CAH →Capital One is a diversified financial services holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Originally a spinoff of Signet Financial's credit card division in 1994, the company is now primarily involved in credit card lending, auto loans, and commercial lending.
Read more on COF →